By Joanna Putman
Police1
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Connecticut arbitration panel has voted to reverse the firing of one of the former New Haven police officers involved in the incident that paralyzed Richard “Randy” Cox, the New Haven Register reported.
The original incident occurred in June 2022 when Cox was arrested and put into the back of a police van that Officer Oscar Diaz was driving, according to the report. Cox was unrestrained in the back of the van except by handcuffs and was severely injured when the van came to an abrupt stop to avoid hitting another car.
After Cox was paralyzed, five officers, including Diaz, were criminally charged and fired from the department, according to the report. A police union challenged Diaz’s firing, and the case was sent to an arbitration panel.
On Jan. 19, two out of three members of the panel voted to reverse Diaz’s termination, according to the report. The department has been ordered to give Diaz his job back along with back pay since his termination, according to the report.
